Russian Meteor-M #2 Weather Satellite declared fully Operational

April 13, 2015

Image: Roscosmos

The Russian Space Agency announced that the lengthy commissioning and checkout of the Meteor-M #2 weather satellite launched in July of last year has been completed and the satellite is now ready to enter regular operations, further restoring Russia’s capability of gathering meteorological data after a multi-year gap in data availability from low-orbiting weather satellites.

The Meteor-M #2 satellite is the second of the Meteor-M satellite generation, the first launched back in 2009 and was hoped to close a three-year gap in meteorological data gathered from Low Earth Orbit that started back in 2006 when the Meteor-3M satellite stopped working. However, the first Meteor-M satellite suffered a number of instrument failures, leaving only a part of its payload operational and leading to a delay of the launch of Meteor-M #2 to allow modifications to be made to the systems that showed weaknesses on the first satellite.

Meteor-M #2 has a launch mass of 2,700 Kilograms outfitted with two power generating solar arrays that can track the sun, a large synthetic aperture radar antenna and a rectangular Earth-facing instrument deck that is pointed to Earth with high accuracy using modern attitude control equipment. The satellite features seven instruments ranging from a low-resolution multispectral imager for cloud scanning, high resolution imaging payloads, microwave and infrared sounders, a radar payload, a radio occultation instrument to a space weather monitoring suite.

The satellite launched atop a Soyuz 2-1B/Fregat rocket on July 8, 2014 along with several secondary payloads that were separated after the Meteor spacecraft was released into its target orbit. After the successful completion of the launch, Meteor-M #2 was tracked in an orbit of 818 by 827 Kilometers at an inclination of 98.8 degrees. Once separated, the spacecraft completed its initial steps that included the deployment of the solar arrays, the acquisition of a stable orientation in space and the initiation of communications with ground stations.

Beginning a long commissioning phase, the satellite was taken through the activation of its various instruments over a period of days including the deployment of protective instrument covers and the radar antenna.

The first image from the satellite was released on July 25, confirming that the spacecraft was operational and in the process of commissioning its instruments, a process that was expected to take several months to ensure all are properly characterized and calibrated to begin delivering usable data.

Data transmission from the satellite was confirmed by radio operators around the world who were able to receive instrument data using the LRIT (Low Rate Information Transmission) from the satellite that is one of the signals provided by the Meteor satellite in compliance with standards of the World Meteorological Organization.

Roscosmos released additional imagery from the satellite in January 2015, noting that commissioning was making good progress and Meteor-M #2 was performing as expected. On Monday, the Russian Space Agency announced that commissioning was completed and Meteor-M #2 was transitioned to regular operations on April 8.

The Meteor-M #2 satellite is currently flying in an orbit of 819 by 827 Kilometers at an inclination of 98.76 degrees, getting started with its operational mission of at least five years. The next Meteor satellite is currently planned to launch in December 2015 atop a Soyuz rocket.

The Meteor-M #2 satellite is the second in Russia’s fourth generation of meteorological satellites. Meteor-M represents the next generation of meteorological satellites that were planned to restore Russia’s capability of gathering meteorological data. The plan for the re-institution of the Russian meteorological called for at least three satellites in sun-synchronous orbit and three spacecraft in Geostationary Orbit to provide all data products needed for an operational weather forecasting capability, with real-time coverage and measurements of space weather.

The first Meteor-M satellite was launched in 2009 to demonstrate the satellite bus and instrument payload of the new Meteor-M series that makes use of state-or-the-art components to gather high-quality data products according to international meteorological standards.

The Meteor-M satellites are built by VNIIEM, Moscow, each satellite weighing 2,700 Kilograms including 1,200 Kilograms for the multi-instrument payload suite of the satellites. The Meteor-M satellites share a series of common instruments, but some instruments are specific to each spacecraft to increase the amount of available data.

The defining characteristics of the Meteor-M #2 satellite is a large cylindrical satellite body, two deployable sun-tracking solar arrays, a large deployable synthetic aperture radar antenna and a rectangular payload deck that hosts the majority of the instruments and instrument apertures of the satellite being pointed to Earth for observations. The Meteor-M #2 satellite carries a suite of seven payloads:

Meteor-M #2 uses a communications system that complies with standards of the World Meteorological Organization. The system includes a multi-frequency transmission system to allow downlink of instrument data using LRIT (Low Rate Information Transmission) and HRIT (High Rate Information Transmission).The Meteor-M spacecraft also support the relay of data from worldwide DCPs (Data Collection Platforms). DCPs can be deployed virtually at any location on the globe to provide in-situ measurements of meteorological data that is then uplinked to satellites and transmitted to ground stations for collection, processing and distribution.>>>Meteor-M #2 Spacecraft & Instrument Overview

Photo: Nathalie J. Berger (@najube)

Re-Entry of Soyuz Rocket Stage catches Australian Observers by Surprise

July 10, 2014

The re-entry of a Soyuz rocket stage that launched a Russian meteorology satellite earlier this week lit up the sky in Australia Thursday night. Arcing across the night sky over Victoria and New South Wales, the re-entering rocket stage was seen by many who were caught by surprise. Reports of a meteor quickly emerged as people across wide areas saw the object and social media sites became filled as witnesses reported seeing a bright object in the sky for close to a minute.>>>Detailed ArticleRe-Entry seen from MelbournePhoto: Nathalie J. Berger (@najube)

﻿Soyuz successfully Launches Meteor-M #2 & Six Secondary Payloads

July 8, 2014

A Soyuz 2-1B rocket blasted off from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Tuesday at 15:58 UTC carrying the Meteor-M #2 satellite and six secondary payloads into orbit.

Following a thundering blastoff from Baikonur, Soyuz successfully executed a nominal ascent mission taking nine and a half minutes to deliver the Fregat Upper Stage and the seven payloads into a Parking orbit. Tasked with a complex mission profile, Fregat then assumed control of the flight for a three-and-a-half hour mission that included five upper stage burns to reach the target orbits for the separation of the payloads. Meteor-M#2 was released one hour after launch followed by the six secondary payloads that were deployed by T+2.5 hours followed by a targeted deorbit burn of Fregat.

Mission Success was announced after all payloads had separated from the launch vehicle, marking the conclusion of a successful mission.

Meteor-M #2 is the second in Russia’s new generation of low-orbiting weather satellites joining the Meteor-M #1 satellite in orbit that was launched in 2009 and experienced a number of equipment failures that are hoped to be avoided on Meteor-M #2. Keeping the satellite grounded for several months allowed modifications to be implemented on the satellite and its instruments to ensure the spacecraft could meet its mission milestones – providing operational meteorological data products for weather forecasting, atmospheric and environmental monitoring and scientific purposes.

Meteor-M #2 weighs 2,700 Kilograms and uses a suite of seven instruments to gather high-quality data products according to international meteorological standards. The plan for the re-institution of the Russian meteorological satellite fleet calls for at least three satellites in sun-synchronous orbit and three spacecraft in Geostationary Orbit to provide all data products needed for an operational weather forecasting capability, with real-time coverage and measurements of space weather.

Photo: Roscosmos

Hitching a ride uphill with Meteor-M#2 is another Russian satellite, Relek. The satellite is the first Russian spacecraft dedicated to the study of energetic particles in the near-Earth space environment since 2001. It carries eight instruments to detect particles and waves present in near-Earth space for geophysical research and space weather monitoring.

Also being launched on this mission is TechDemoSat-1, built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. with participation by the UK Space Agency and industry partners. The satellite is equipped with ten payloads that will complete technical demonstrations in space for application on future spacecraft and space-based science instruments. SkySat-2 is the second prototype Earth Observation Satellite operated by Skybox providing high-resolution Earth imagery for the commercial market. Three small satellites are part of this mission, DX-1, AISSat-2 and Ukube-1. DX-1 is the first fully commercial satellite from Russia funded with private capital only. Operated by Dauria Aerospace, it will demonstrate a generic satellite bus and provide Automatic Identification System services. AISSat-2 also carries an AIS receiver to provide tracking of sea vessels on a global scale while UKube-1 is a 3U CubeSat that will demonstrate equipment, conduct student science experiments and serve as an education and outreach platform.

Photo: Roscosmos

Soyuz countdown operations were initiated at Site 31/6 on Tuesday about eight hours before the planned launch time as technicians started working on the final preparatory steps for propellant loading. Batteries were installed on the Soyuz to provide power during the flight and teams removed a number of protective covers from the Soyuz such as the engine bell covers of the boosters and core stage and the interstage cover.

Around L-5 hours, the Russian State Commission met for the final time before launch for a review of the status of Countdown Operations and the health of the launch vehicle. No problems were found and the go-ahead for fueling was given.

Propellant loading operations picked up around L-4 hours as the Liquid Oxygen System was conditioned for oxidizer loading. After chilldown of ground systems, transfer lines and the tanks of the Soyuz, the -183°C LOX started flowing into the six oxidizer tanks of the rocket. A short time later, the boosters, core stage and third stage began Kerosene loading as well. For liftoff, Soyuz 2-1B is loaded with a total of 274,140 Kilograms of propellants.

Soyuz 2-1B is one of two modernized versions of the workhorse of the Russian & Soviet Space Programs. It is nearly identical to previously flown Soyuz launchers, but features an upgraded Control System switching from analog to digital control systems to make the Soyuz Launcher more flexible, and 2-1B also sports an upgraded second stage featuring the RD-0124 Engine. Soyuz 2-1B features a large Core Stage with a single four-chamber RD-108A engine, four strap-on Boosters each with its own RD-107A engine and a third stage featuring an RD-0124 staged combustion engine.

All stages of the Soyuz use Liquid
Oxygen as oxidizer and rocket-grade Kerosene as fuel. For the Gaia
launch, Soyuz uses a Fregat upper stage to perform multiple burns to
inject the payload to its desired trajectory. The stack is topped by a
4.1-meter payload fairing. Overall, Soyuz 2-1B stands 46.1 meters tall weighing 308,000 Kilograms when fully fueled for launch.

Fueling was complete by L-1 hour and 45 minutes which signaled the start of a thorough set of launch vehicle checkouts including electrical testing, control system verifications and communication checks.

At the pad, teams completed final close
outs on the Service Structure ahead of the retraction of the two
Service Structure halves that was completed at L-45 minutes.

At L-45 minutes, the flight software
was loaded into the Soyuz Flight Computers. Soyuz 2-1B and its 2-1A
companion as well as the new 2-1v variant use modern digital flight
control systems while the other Soyuz configurations, U and FG, still
use the older avionics that are considered less-capable, but more
robust.

Launch Command Power was activated at L-30 minutes and teams headed towards the final crucial steps ahead of liftoff. Ahead of the terminal countdown, all payloads were configured for flight, being switched to internal power.

Ten minutes ahead of launch, Soyuz Guidance System and onboard recorders were activated. Pressing into the Terminal Countdown Sequence at T-6 minutes, the Soyuz launcher started to execute the final crucial steps to transition to the appropriate configuration for launch.

Inside the launch bunker near the pad, the launch key was inserted to provide the final clearance for liftoff.

The Soyuz Telemetry System went to flight mode at T-5 minutes and the Fregat Upper Stage was switched to internal power and flight mode on Fregat was enabled.

At T-3 minutes and 15 seconds, the engines and propellant lines were purged with gaseous Nitrogen to condition them for ignition and remove any combustible substances ahead of ignition.

Photo: Roscosmos

Propellant Tank Pressurization was started at T-2:35 when all propellant fill&drain valves as well as safety valves were closed and the tanks were pressurized to flight pressure with Nitrogen. N2 loading was terminated and the Onboard Measurement System was activated.

At T-1 Minute, the Auto Sequencer of the Soyuz assumed control of the countdown and its final steps starting with the transfer to internal power that was completed without any problems. The third stage’s electrical, data and propellant umbilical was disconnected and the umbilical mast retracted from the vehicle at T-40 seconds.

At T-20 seconds, the ignition sequence was started and the hydrogen peroxide-driven turbopumps of the four RD-107A on the Boosters and the single RD-108A on the Core Stage started to spin up to flight speed. The engines first reached an intermediate thrust level before being commanded to throttle up to a collective liftoff thrust of 425,000 Kilograms.

Soyuz started rising from its pad at 15:58 UTC, embarking on a long mission to deliver its seven passengers to orbit. Climbing vertically for a few seconds, the Soyuz then started its pitch and roll maneuver to align itself with the precisely calculated launch trajectory, heading for a polar orbit. Burning through 1,600 Kilograms of propellants each second, the boosters and core stage powered the Soyuz as it started heading uphill and racing downrange.

After consuming a total of about 40 metric tons of propellants during the first 118 seconds of the flight, the four strap-on boosters of the Soyuz shut down their engines and separated from the Core Stage that continued to fire its RD-108A main engine and four vernier thrusters for three-axis control. The four-chamber RD-108A delivered about 101,000 Kilograms of vacuum thrust, pushing the Soyuz out of the dense atmosphere.

Just before passing T+4 minutes into the flight, Soyuz jettisoned its payload fairing as the vehicle had departed the dense atmosphere, making it safe to expose the payloads for the rest of the way into orbit as aerodynamic forces could no longer damage the satellites.

The Core Stage continued to burn until T+4 minutes and 45 seconds, consuming a total of 91,100 Kilograms of propellants. Two seconds after Core Stage cutoff, the RD-0124 engine of the third stage cut in and the pyrotechnic stage separation system was fired to severe the mechanical connection between the stages. Shortly after the hot-staging sequence was complete, the third stage jettisoned its aft section to fully expose the propulsion compartment. The RD-0124 engine is the feature that differentiates the Soyuz 2-1B from the Soyuz 2-1A that uses the less powerful RD-0110. RD-0124 is a closed cycle engine using staged combustion meaning that the Oxygen-rich gas from the Gas Generator that drives the turbopumps is transferred to the combustion chamber for improved engine performance in terms of thrust and impulse. RD-0124 operates at an exceptionally high chamber pressure of 162bar to create a thrust of 30,000 Kilograms and a specific impulse of 359 seconds. RD-0124 performed a flawless 4-minute 29-second burn, consuming 25,400 Kilograms of propellants to boost the stack into orbit. Soyuz was targeting an insertion orbit of 190 by 212 Kilometers at an inclination of 98.8 degrees.

At T+9 minutes and 18 seconds, the Fregat upper stage was to separate from the Soyuz third stage to assume control of the flight which had a complex architecture featuring a total of five Fregat burns to reach the different orbits needed by the various satellites.

Fregat is 3.35 meters in diameter and 1.5 meters long capable of holding 5,350 Kilograms of Unsymmetrical Dímethylhydrazine fuel and Nitrogen Tetroxide oxidizer. Fregat is an autonomous Upper Stage that is equipped with its own power, propulsion and control system to perform flights of up to 48 hours. S5.92 is operated in two thrust modes – 2,025 Kilograms and 1,430 Kilograms.

Photo: Roscosmos

Photo: Roscosmos

After coasting uphill for one minute, Fregat was to ignite its S5.92 main engine at T+10:17 for a burn of 51 seconds to boost the apogee of the orbit to an altitude of 814 Kilometers, reaching an elliptical transfer orbit. In this orbit, Fregat was to coast until reaching a position near apogee so that its second burn would raise the perigee and circularize the orbit. The second burn was to start at T+57 minutes and 43 seconds with a planned duration of 48.5 seconds. Meteor-M #2 was targeting an insertion orbit of 802 by 838 Kilometers inclined 98.81 degrees.

Image: Lavochkin Association

Fregat was to release the Meteor-M #2 satellite 59 minutes and three seconds into the flight, sending it on its way to start a long mission in Sun-Synchronous Orbit to deliver high-quality meteorological data. Initial events in orbit for the satellite included the deployment of its two solar arrays, the acquisition of a stable orientation and the initiation of communications with Russian ground stations.

For Fregat, the mission was to continue for another two and a half hours as there were six more satellites to separate. After Meteor separation, the upper stage was to conduct an avoidance maneuver before performing a retrograde burn at T+1:38:25 in order to lower the perigee of the orbit. The 12-second firing was targeting an orbit of 638 by 825 Kilometers.

One hour and 40 minutes into the flight, Fregat was to deploy the Relek satellite into an orbit of 633 by 825 Kilometers. Following Relek release, the upper stage was set for its fourth burn at T+2 hours 26 minutes and 55 seconds in a position near perigee. Burning its engine in a retrograde attitude for 7.8 seconds, the upper stage would lower the apogee to achieve an orbit of 642 by 643 Kilometers for the separation of the remaining satellites.

First, TechDemoSat-1 and SkySat-2 were to be released simultaneously at T+2:29:32 into different directions to avoid a contact between the satellites. In between separation events, Fregat was to conduct attitude maneuvers and use its reaction control thrusters to slightly modify its orbit. At T+2:31:33, the M3Msat mass simulator was to be released as the original M3Msat spacecraft built in Canada was pulled from the manifest in the weeks leading up to launch due to the political situation in the Ukraine. To ensure Fregat would have the calculated mass and center of gravity during its mission, M3M was replaced by a mass simulator.

Forty seconds later, the DX-1 satellite was to be released followed by AISSat-2 and Ukube-1 at T+2:34:13 marking the completion of the release of all satellites that were part of this launch.

Following the completion of all separation events, Fregat will not have finished its mission yet as the stage is planned to perform a Deorbit Burn at T+3 hours and 27 minutes. This 23.5-second burn would set Fregat up for re-entry by placing the perigee will within the dense atmosphere for a targeted destructive re-entry over a remote area of the Ocean.

The various satellites launched with Meteor-M #2 will contact their respective ground stations within the next day to confirm the health of the spacecraft and start their missions in orbit after a long road to the launch pad.

Mission Profile

Time

Event

T-0:00:20

Launch Command

T-0:00:00

LIFTOFF

T+0:01:58

Booster
Separation

T+0:04:45

Core Stage
Cutoff, Third Stage Ignition

T+0:04:46.9

Stage Separation

T+0:04:48:5

Aft Section
Jettison

T+0:09:14.3

Third Stage
Shutdown

T+0:09:17.6

Fregat
Separation

Target Orbit: 190.4 by 211.9km,
98.8°

T+0:10:16.93

Fregat 1st
Ignition

Burn Duration:
51.02sec

T+0:11:07.95

Fregat Shutdown

Target Orbit:
189.98 by 813.62km, 98.80°

T+0:57:43.33

Fregat 2nd
Ignition

Burn Duration:
48.52sec

T+0:58:32.85

Fregat Shutdown

Target Orbit:
800.5 by 837.9km, 98.81°

T+0:59:02.97

Meteor-M #2
Separation

Target Orbit:
801.67 by 837.99km, 98.81°

T+1:38:25.00

Fregat 3rd
Ignition

Burn Duration:
12.22sec

T+1:38:37.22

Fregat Shutdown

Target Orbit:
637.9 by 825.0km, 98.38km

T+1:39:07.22

Adapter Jettison

T+1:40:47.34

Relek Separation

Target Orbit:
632.84 by 824.96km, 98.38°

T+2:26:55.00

Fregat 4th
Ignition

Burn Duration:
7.76sec

T+2:27:02.76

Fregat Shutdown

Target Orbit:
641.6 by 642.7km, 98.40°

T+2:29:32.88

TDS-1 &
SkySat-2 Separation

Target Orbit:
634.2 by 642.54km, 98.40°

T+2:31:32.88

M3MSat Simulator
Separation

Target Orbit:
632.11 by 642.49km, 98.41°

T+2:33:12.88

DX-1 Separation

Target Orbit:
631.53 by 642.47km, 98.41°

T+2:34:12.88

AISSat-2 &
Ukube-1 Separation

Target Orbit:
623.13 by 642.47km, 98.41°

T+3:27:40.30

Fregat 5th
Ignition

Burn Duration:
23.49sec

T+3:28:03.49

Fregat Deorbit
Burn Complete

Target: 13.6 by
654.0km, 98.49°

Image: Lavochkin Association

Image: Lavochkin Association

﻿MKA-PN 2 (Relek)﻿

The MKA-PN 2 satellite, also known as Relek for its scientific payload, is a Microsatellite dedicated to the study of energetic particles in the near-Earth space environment including the Van Allen Belts. The last Russian satellite to study charged particles flew in 2001 and scientists desire continued data of particle distribution around Earth for geophysical research and space weather monitoring. Also part of the Relek mission is the participation of young scientists to allow them to gather valuable experience in the operation of a scientific satellite mission.

The Relek satellite weighs under 250 Kilograms and is based on the Karat satellite bus manufactured by NPO Lavochkin. The spacecraft features three deployable, but fixed solar panels delivering a peak power of 100 Watts for distribution to the various subsystems and batteries. Attitude determination is accomplished with star trackers, a magnetometer and sun sensors as well as an inertial measurement system. Reaction wheels are used for attitude control. A hydrazine monopropellant propulsion system consisting of several thrusters and two spherical propellant tanks is used for orbital maneuvers and attitude control. Optionally, the hydrazine system can be substituted by an electric propulsion system – which option is used for Relek is not known. Overall, the satellite achieves a pointing accuracy of 0.004 degrees per second.

The communications system uses S-Band for command uplink and telemetry downlink while high-volume science data from the payload is stored in an 8GB memory for downlink via an X-Band terminal. The Relek payload generates around 500MB of data per day.

The goal of the Relek payload is the detailed study of cosmic ray and magnetospheric energetic particles and their interactions with Earth’s upper atmosphere. Also, transient luminous events are studied by the satellite. The satellite will provide data for research into acceleration and precipitation of charged particles in Earth’s radiation belts, the interactions of high-energy particles with the ionosphere and atmosphere, and the connections of particle interactions with transient phenomena.

To meet these objectives, the Relek payload will simultaneously observe electron and proton flux as well as electromagnetic waves and the low-frequency range which contribute to particle acceleration.

Image: Lomonosov Moscow State University

Image: Lomonosov Moscow State University

Also, transient lightning events are monitored by an optical system that is also sensitive for UV radiation. X- and Gamma-ray events can also be recorded. Additionally, the neutral particle background in near-Earth space will be monitored.

Seven different instrument modules are part of the Relek payload to measure the various properties.

Image: Lomonosov Moscow State University

Scintillation Detector (above), DRG-3 layout (below)

Image: Lomonosov Moscow State University

Image: Lomonosov Moscow State University

DUG Instrument

Image: Lomonosov Moscow State University

Image: Lomonosov Moscow State University

RChA Instrument

The DRG-1 and DRG-2 sensors are capable of detecting X- and Gamma-Rays as well as high-energy electrons with high temporal resolution and sensitivity. The instruments use two identical NaI/CsI/plastic scintillator detectors both looking in the Earth-facing direction. The instrument is about 30 by 27 by 20 centimeters in size weighing 7 Kilograms with a power consumption of 10W. The instrument can measure X- and Gamma-rays at energies of 0.01 to 2 MeV and electrons at 0.2 to 10 MeV.

The scintillation detector consists of an aluminum foil, a layer of sodium-iodide, three plastic foils and a caesium-iodide layer. When a charged particle hits the scintillator, the material absorbs the energy of the particle to reach a metastable excited state that reverts to the original state by the emission of photons. The light emitted by the scintillator can be detected with a photodiode that uses the photoelectric effect to create photoelectrons which create an electrical pulse that can be recorded, digitized and downlinked to Earth. The pulses created in the photodiode provide information that allows the original particle that struck the detector to be characterized. The DRG sensors have an aperture of 40mm.

The DRG-3 instrument consists of three scintillator detectors to monitor electrons and protons in three different viewing directions – one facing zenith (looking into space) and two looking along the geomagnetic field lines. The detectors consist of a plastic scintillator and NaI/CsI layers coupled to a photomultiplier tube. Electrons at energies from 0.1 to 10 MeV and protons from 1 to 100 MeV can be detected. Overall, DRG-3 is 25 by 25 by 25 centimeters in size with a mass of 4 Kilograms.

The Telescope-T is an optical imager with a field of view of +/-7.5 degrees covering a spectral region of 300 to 400 nanometers. It reaches an angular resolution of 0.4 degrees and operates at a time resolution of 100 microseconds. A photomultiplier is used as a detector. Telescope-T is 20 by 20 by 40 centimeters in size weighing under 5 Kilograms.

The DUG instrument consists of two optical imagers with different filters, one covering the 300-400nm region, while the other covers the spectral band of 630 to 800nm. It uses similar photomultiplier tubes as the Telescope-T instrument and also covers a +/-7.5° field of view. The instrument is compact in size (14 by 14 by 8cm) and weighs less than one Kilogram.

NChA is a low-frequency analyzer that consists of two magnetic field sensors and two electric field sensors covering a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz at frequency steps of 20Hz and a time resolution of 2 seconds. Overall, the instrument weighs three Kilograms and is 16 by 13 by 8 centimeters in dimensions. The instrument will be used to examine the role of low-frequency waves in the acceleration of particles in the radiation belts that can reach velocities close to the speed of light. Ultra-low frequency waves were found to speed up particles in their orbit within the radiation belts. Perfectly matching the electrons in frequency, the ULF waves create an acceleration mechanism that acts much faster than predicted in previous models. This information will help scientists adjust their models and provide a new understanding of radiation belt dynamics.

The RChA instrument uses four radio antenna booms spaced at 120 and 90 degrees to collect information on radio waves in the near-Earth space environment. The instrument is just 10 by 10 by 5 centimeters in size. A compact DOSTEL radiation dosimeter is installed on the satellite to determine the total radiation dose encountered in different locations in the radiation belts and variations over time to track external influences.

All of the sensors are connected to a data collection unit weighing four Kilograms, 27 by 25 by 20 centimeters in size. Overall, the Relek payload consumes 60 Watts of power during operation. In total, the various instruments have a total mass of around 45 Kilograms.

Relek can operate in a background mode in which all instruments take data at one-second intervals during the entire orbit of the satellite. In event mode, all instruments or groups of instruments are triggered by particle events to start collection high time resolution data. Triggers for event mode observations include signal thresholds on the various instruments that activate the high-resolution observation sequence.

TechDemoSat-1 or TDS-1 is a technology demonstration satellite built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. with participation of the UK Space Agency and a number of industry partners and institutions to create a spacecraft for the demonstration of innovative technology for scientific and commercial applications in space flight. The satellite is based on Surrey’s SSTL-150 small satellite platform and hosts eight payloads that include a Sea State Payload, several Space Environment Instruments, a Sounding Instrument and three technology demonstrators for use in future spacecraft.TDS-1 hosts a total of ten payloads that are part of a Maritime, Space Environment, Air & Land Monitoring, and a Technology suite.

﻿SkySat-2﻿

Image: Skybox

SkySat-1 & 2

Image: Skybox

SkySat-2 is the second of two prototype optical Earth Observation Satellites built an operated by Skybox Imaging that is licensed to acquire high resolution panchromatic and multispectral images of Earth. The first SkySat spacecraft launched in November 2013 aboard a Dnepr rocket and demonstrated the satellite bus and the imaging payload by acquiring impressive high resolution images from orbit including high-definition video that demonstrates the pointing accuracy of the satellite. Following the success of the first SkySat mission, the company has announced that thirteen operational satellite would be launched beginning in 2015. One of the modifications of the operational satellites is the addition of a hydrazine propulsion system for orbit control.

SkySat-2 weighs about 100 Kilograms featuring body-mounted solar panels and an aperture cover that protects the imaging payload during launch and initial orbital operations. The cover also hosts the high-data rate antenna of the satellite. The optical imager covers a panchromatic band from 450 to 900 nanometers achieving a PAN resolution of 90 centimeters at nadir. Four multispectral channels are covered by the satellite (Blue 450-515, Green 515-595, Red 605-695, and Near Infrared 740-900nm) achieving a multispectral resolution of 2 meters at nadir. A ground swath of 8 Kilometers is covered at nadir. Stereo imaging is supported by the satellite.

The satellite acquires high-definition video in its PAN channel with durations of up to 90 seconds in which the satellite can keep looking at the ground target by slewing to compensate for the movement in its orbit. Video is acquired at 30 frames per second with a resolution of 1.1 meters at nadir and a minimum field of view of 2.0 by 1.1 Kilometers.

Skybox images are commercially marketed and find application in a variety of monitoring operations, land use planning, environmental assessment, resources management, tourism, mapping and for scientific use.

﻿UKube-1﻿

The Ukube-1 spacecraft is a 3U CubeSat built and operated by the United Kingdom Space Agency with Clyde Space Ltd. being the prime contractor. Ukube-1 will demonstrate a 3U satellite bus and a series of five technical demonstrator payloads. The project included the participation of numerous institutions and industry partners that provided components or engineering knowledge. Primary objectives of the mission include the demonstration of space technology from the UK, the feasibility of using a CubeSat payload to gather useful scientific data, to demonstrate university involvement in the operation of a space mission, and to serve as a STEM outreach platform. Ukube-1 complies with the 3U form factor, being 10 by 10 by 34 centimeters in size with a mass of just under five Kilograms. The primary satellite structure is an off-the-shelf platform built by Pumpkin using aluminum framework and external and internal panels to provide mounting platforms for the various systems. The satellite uses a total of 56 Ultra-Triple Junction Solar Cells that are installed on all satellite panels and three deployable solar panels. The panels are deployed by a spring-loaded system with hot wire cutters that cut the restraints of the panels to allow them to swing open. Two arrays are deployed in a centipede configuration on the longitudinal S/C axis while the third panel deploys as a spoiler. Overall, the solar panels deliver a worst case power supply of 4 Watts. Power is stored in a 30 Watt-hour battery with a nominal voltage of 7.9 Volts. State of charge of the battery is managed by a Battery Charge Regulator that employs Maximum Power Point Tracking to get the maximum available power out of the arrays. The electrical system supplies voltages of 3.3, 4, 5 and 12 volts to the various systems of the satellite via a Power Switchboard with 18 on/off switches that also provide overcurrent protection. Ukube-1 employs an Active Magnetic Attitude Control System that allows for two-axis pointing with a precision of ten degrees. Attitude actuation is provided by a set of six magnetic torquers that are embedded in the surface mount of the solar arrays. An Inertial and Magnetic Measurement Unit (gyros, accelerometers & magnetometer) and coarse sun sensors installed on the solar panels provide attitude data. Pointing on the XY-plane is ensured by the AMAC while stabilization on the Z-Axis is accomplished using a permanent magnet that aligns the satellite with Earth’s magnetic field. A GPS receiver is used for orbit determination. Data handling and spacecraft commanding is supported by a Gomspace Nanomind A712D OBC with an ATMEL processor. The Command & Data Handling system uses 2MB of SDRAM, 4MB of Flash memory and a 2GB SD Card for data storage. The flight computer is capable of autonomously managing onboard resources and developing an operations schedule for the satellite in its orbit to maximize the data return. Command uplink and systems telemetry downlink is done via UHF and VHF frequencies at low data rates of 9,600bit/s. The VHF system can also be used as a Morse code beacon to transmit identification data and basic health parameters. The UHF/VHF system uses two deployable whip antennas. The satellite also hosts a FUNCube Transceiver that can be used for public outreach, operating in the 435MHz UHF and 145MHz VHF bands to downlink data from a Material Science Experiment. Transponder mode for tracking by amateur radio operators is also available, but the system can also be used as a backup communications system. It uses two additional monopole antennas. For the downlink of payload data, the satellite uses an S-Band transmitter that achieves higher data rates.

Image: Clyde Space

Image: Clyde Space

Image: Clyde Space

The satellite uses four data buses for communication between the different subsystems, payload and the onboard computer – a 100kbit/s I²C connecting the platform subsystems to the computer and FUNCube, a 100kbit/s I²C payload data bus, a 1Mbit/s SPI bus connecting the payloads to the S-Band system through the OBC that it also connects to the AMAC, and a UART data bus at 9,600bit/s interfacing the computer and the UHF/VHF transceiver.

The Ukube bus can host at least three payloads per mission that can be rapidly integrated via common interfaces to make the platform flexible for hosting a variety of miniaturized satellite payloads for scientific or other purposes. Including the FUNCube Transceiver, this mission carries five payloads – C3D, TOPCAT, MPQ442 and Janus.

C3D is a compact CMOS optical imaging system that demonstrates a new CMOS sensor (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) for the acquisition of color images. Three CMOS detectors are installed in the small payload coupled to a wide field and a narrow field imager. The system includes a Radiation Damage Monitor and a dosimeter payload to be able to track the effects of radiation on the image sensor and correlate the observed degradation with ground testing. Images acquired by the sensors will be processed onboard to monitor radiation-related degradation and record single-event upsets, but the Earth images can also be downlinked for analysis on the ground or outreach activities. TOPCATstands for Topside Ionosphere Assisted Tomography and is an instrument that will demonstrate the detection of space weather parameters in the plasmasphere via GPS measurements. Creating a miniature space weather monitor will allow the system to be deployed on many space missions to create a large set of space weather data for responsive observations and forecasting of adverse effects. The dual-frequency GPS receiver will track GPS signals in the plasmasphere to study space weather through tomography.

MPQ442 is a payload operated by the UKSEDS (United Kingdom Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) hosting five experiments. The OpenSpace365 is an Arduino processor that will allow the execution of multidisciplinary electronics projects, a total of 365 experiments are planned, each running one day, giving students and hobbyists access to a basic space-based experiment platform. The OrbitView payload is an optical imager that will collect photos and panoramas from orbit that will be shared with participants in the project. The Super Lab is an experiment that facilitates superconducting materials for testing in space.

Image: Clyde Space

C3D (above) & TOPCAT (below)

Image: Clyde Space

SuperSprite is a demonstrator payload for a ChipSat – a satellite on a Chip that contains solar cells, batteries, microcontrollers and a communication system to demonstrate the functionality of a ChipSat for future missions. Finally, the Qubduino experiment includes a series of Field Programmable Gate Arrays with self-repair function for testing in the space environment.

The Janus payload is a Random Number Generator that uses the radiation environment in Low Earth Orbit to generate truly random numbers for high data rate applications. The device also demonstrates the effect of single-event upsets on an FPGA.

MPQ442

Image: Clyde Space

Janus

Image: Clyde Space

AISSat-2

Kongsberg Satellite Services

Image: SFL

Image: SFL

AISSat-2 is the second Automatic Identification System Satellite as part of a constellation of ship-tracking satellites operated by the Norwegian government and built by the University of Toronto. The first AISSat launched in 2010 and successfully demonstrated the application of a space-based AIS terminal for tracking of sea vessel movements. After the success of AISSat-1, Norway ordered two more spacecraft, identical to the first, to ensure data continuity and expand to a constellation of AIS spacecraft.

The Automatic Identification System is used by sea vessels that send and receive VHF messages containing identification, position, course and speed information to allow the monitoring of vessel movements and collision avoidance as well as alerting in the event of sudden speed changes. These signals can be transmitted from ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore to allow the monitoring of a local area, but deploying space-based AIS terminals allows a broad coverage and data relay to ground stations for monitoring of large sea areas. However, due to the large footprint of satellites, overlapping and signal collisions become a problem, especially for frequented traffic routes.

AISSat-2 uses SFL’s Generic Satellite Bus that provides all the required subsystems for the operation of a variety of payloads leaving about 30% of its total volume open for use by payloads. Using the same platform for several previous missions led to a quick build-up of flight heritage and performance data which is of great value when conducting experimental missions.

The satellite bus features a cubical design with a 20-centimeter side length using aluminum exterior panels and two internal trays to host the various satellite subsystems and create a payload bay for simple integration of satellite payloads of different kinds. Each CanX spacecraft weighs around 7 Kilograms. Power is provided by four to ten triple-junction GaAs solar cells installed on each of the external panels delivering up to ten Watts of power using Peak Power Point Tracking provided by the Battery Charge/Discharge Units. At total of 36 cells are mounted on the spacecraft with an efficiently of 27%. Power is stored in two Li-Ion batteries with a capacity of 5.3 Ah. The power conditioning unit provides a 4-Volt unregulated power bus. Attitude Determination is accomplished by a three-axis magnetometer, six sun sensors for fine and sun attitude determination and a star tracker for precise attitude determination. The Miniature Star Tracker provides three-axis attitude solutions at a control cycle at 0.5 Hz and an accuracy of 10arcsec. Attitude actuation is provided by three reaction wheels with a total mass of 185grams and a volume of 5 by 5 by 4 centimeters. The wheels have a momentum capacity of 30mNms and deliver a maximum torque of 2mNm. Momentum dumps are supported by three magnetotorquers.

Data handling and satellite control is provided by an ARM7 housekeeping computer that handles standard telemetry and communications while a second computer supports all attitude determination and control functions.

Each processor board uses the ARM7/TDMI processor with a code memory of 256kB and 2MB of hardware SRAM memory used to store program variables and data. A 256MB flash memory is used for long-term data storage.

A third computer board is in charge of the operation of the payload and handles its data. This system was modified for AISSat – it interfaces with the AIS payload and collects the AIS messages received from ships and also receives data from a GPS receiver to provide accurate timing signals to data time-stamping. The computer allows different methods of data storage, processing and permits in-flight reconfiguration running on the Canadian Advanced Nanospace Operating Environment. The communications system of the satellites includes a UHF receiver, an S-Band Transceiver and a VHF beacon. The UHF receiver will be used for the command uplink from the ground at a data rate of 4kbit/s in the amateur radio band using quad-canted monopole antennas for omni-directional coverage. The VHF beacon transmits the satellite’s identification and some basic telemetry values for satellite tracking and the initial commissioning of the spacecraft.

Image JAXA

The main payload of the satellite is the AIS terminal that was developed at Kongsberg Seatex AS. It is a self-organizing Time Division Multiple Access radio communication system. This Software Defined Radio (SDR) approach allows for maximum in-flight flexibility as it allows full reconfiguration of the radio once in orbit.

The system uses a monopole antenna connected to a dual-channel VHF-receiver that can be tuned to any VHF band within the maritime VHF area of 156.025 to 162.025 MHz. When in operational mode, the VHF system is tuned to the AIS frequencies at 161.975 and 162.025 MHz. Signals are converted in an analog to digital conversion system before being transmitted to a Field Programmable Gate Array. The FPGA processes the signals and transmits them to the payload microcontroller for storage in the spacecraft memory ahead of downlink. The microcontroller interfaces with the satellite platform via a serial RS-485 line which is used to transmit data packets to the S/C.

The AISSat constellation uses the Svalbard ground station in Norway which is in view for all 15 daily passes of the satellites in their polar orbit – enabling rapid data downlink after acquisition followed by processing and distribution. Data is sent to the Mission Control Center which is mostly automated in the generation of data products and notifications that are sent as status e-mails after each contact with the spacecraft. Satellite command uplink is required once a week as the spacecraft mostly run on time-tagged commands requiring only updating of orbital data and onboard clocks. While passing over the ground station, the satellite is capable of relaying real-time data to allow Norwegian authorities real-time insight into vessel locations within the satellite footprint.

﻿DX-1﻿

Image: Dauria Aerospace

DX-1 is a small technology demonstration satellite developed and built by private space firm Dauria Aerospace. It is the first Russian satellite funded with private capital alone. Exact details on the satellite and its systems are not available. The DX-1 spacecraft will demonstrate the satellite platform for future use in small satellite platforms as it is capable of hosting various payloads. Overall, the satellite is 40 by 40 by 30 centimeters in size with a mass of under 30 Kilograms. The DX-1 platform will be used in the future for remote sensing and various scientific purposes. DX-1 is equipped with an AIS (Automatic Identification System) receiver to collect identification and navigation messages from sea vessels to join two Perseus-M AIS satellite launched by Dauria earlier in 2014. It has also been reported that the DX-1 satellite carries an Earth observation payload.

July 7, 2014UPDATED

A Russian Soyuz rocket stands tall at its launch pad at Site 31/6 of the Baikonur Cosmodrome for launch on Tuesday at 15:58 UTC to deliver the Meteor-M #2 weather satellite to orbit along with six secondary payloads. After months of launch delays, the Soyuz finally reached the launch pad on Saturday following final launch preparations that were completed over a period of weeks at the Baikonur Cosmodrome after the main payload was finally ready for flight.

Meteor-M #2 is the second in Russia’s next generation of meteorological satellites operating in Sun-Synchronous orbit to deliver data for operational weather forecasting, environmental monitoring and scientific purposes. The 2,700-Kilogram satellite carries seven instruments to measure a range of atmospheric properties. Launching alongside the large Meteor-M is TechDemoSat-1, a small technical demonstration satellite built by Surrey Satellite Technology, the UK Space Agency and a number of industry partners. The satellite is carrying ten payloads that will complete technical demonstrations for future application in space projects. Another UK satellite that is being launched is Ukube-1, a 3U CubeSat that carries several demonstration payloads.

Also part of this launch is the Relek Satellite, a small scientific satellite dedicated to the study of energetic particles in near Earth space. SkySat-2 is the second prototype Earth observation satellite operated by Skybox Imaging, capable of acquiring high-resolution Earth imagery. AISsat-2 will deliver Automatic Identification System tracking services of sea vessels on a global scale and the DX-1 satellite is a fully commercial technical demonstrator.

Preparations for this launch were originally targeting a launch date in 2013, but suffered several delays due to problems with the first Meteor-M satellite that launched in 2009 and experienced failures and issues with the majority of its instruments. To avoid these problems in subsequent missions, systems were modified and upgrades were needed on the Meteor-M #2 satellite in the late stages of its manufacturing process.

Photo: Tsenki/Roscosmos

The review of problems on the satellite in orbit and the implementation of repairs took more time than originally expected, pushing the launch to the right several times, requiring the secondary payloads to wait in storage while the finishing touches were put on Meteor-M #2.

Meteor-M #2 was delivered to the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 17 to begin its final processing flow at the launch site. Being unpacked from its transport container, Meteor-M #2 underwent autonomous testing before being put through vacuum testing which was completed by early May. Electrical testing and a series of reconfigurations followed to prepare the satellite for launch. Next, the spacecraft completed hazardous processing, being loaded with propellant and pressurant gas for use during the mission to maintain a precisely targeted orbit.

Photo: Tsenki

Photo: Tsenki

Photo: Tsenki

While Meteor was completing launch processing, the secondary payloads arrived at the launch site for final preparations. The M3Msat manifested as a secondary payload coming from Canada was scheduled for delivery to Baikonur in late April, but the delivery of the satellite was halted due to the Ukraine-conflict and related sanctions against Russia. A mass simulator will be taking M3M’s place on the payload adapter.

All satellites that are part of this launch were delivered to Baikonur by May 21 along with the Fregat upper stage for this mission. Fregat was placed in a test stand to complete a series of checkouts and processing steps that included the process of loading the upper stage with more than 5,000 Kilograms of storable propellants and pressurant gas which was completed on June 23.

After Fregat finished its pre-launch processing flow, it had the payload adapter for this flight installed that holds the secondary satellites which are attached using different payload adapter systems. The secondary payloads were installed over a period of days in late June.

Photo: Tsenki/Roscosmos

Photo: Tsenki/Roscosmos

Photo: Tsenki/Roscosmos

Photo: Tsenki/Roscosmos

Photo: Tsenki/Roscosmos

Photo: Tsenki

Photo: Tsenki

Photo: Tsenki

When all secondary payloads had been installed, the Meteor-M #2 spacecraft found its place on top of the payload adapter, connected via its satellite adapter. After Meteor was structurally installed on the upper stage, electrical and data lines were mated and a final check of the upper composite was run to ensure commands could be received by the various payload separation systems in flight. On July 2, the stack was rotated to the horizontal position to be encapsulated in the payload fairing which was assembled earlier.

Once the payload fairing was attached to the upper composite, teams completed final close-out operations before the stack was moved to the Launcher Integration Facility for the assembly of the Soyuz rocket. On July 4, the upper composite was installed on the third stage of the Soyuz 2-1 rocket. Teams then removed the final protective covers from the third stage including the engine bell covers on the RD-0124 upper stage engine. The third stage was attached to the Soyuz Core Stage that already had its four liquid-fueled boosters installed in the weeks ahead. Completing the integration of the launch vehicle and spacecraft, teams conducted a final round of testing to ensure all systems were functioning properly. Overall, Soyuz 2-1B stands 46.1 meters tall weighing 308,000 Kilograms when fully fueled for launch. Each of the four boosters consists of a tapered portion hosting the oxygen tank and a cylindrical section that facilitates the fuel tank. The booster is 19.6m tall and 2.68m in diameter, outfitted with a four-chamber RD-107A engine. The Core Stage that also acts as second stage after booster separation two minutes into flight is 27.8m tall and 2.95 meters in diameter using an RD-108A engine to power the vehicle. Sitting atop the Core Stage is the third stage that provides the vehicle with the final kick needed to reach orbit. It is 6.74m long and 2.66m in diameter outfitted with an RD-0124 engine, an improved version of the original RD-0110 of the Soyuz U and FG rockets. RD-0124 operates in a closed cycle to deliver a higher impulse in order to improve the payload capability of the Soyuz 2-1B.

With Soyuz assembled and checked out, the Russian State Commission met late on Friday, local time, to review the status of the launch vehicle and approve it for rollout on Saturday. Beginning early in the morning, per the old tradition, the Soyuz emerged from its assembly building, riding on its transporter-erector on rails taking it from the integration facility to the launch pad. Under sunny skies, the Soyuz made its way to the launch pad where it was placed in its vertical launch position. The two halves of the Service Structure were placed around the launcher to provide protection and access platforms for workers to mark the start of the normal on-pad processing flow of the Soyuz that includes thorough testing and preparations for the countdown sequence that will begin on Tuesday.

Soyuz countdown operations start approximately eight hours before launch to put the Soyuz, its Fregat Upper Stage and the Meteor satellite through a methodical process that includes the final steps to configure the vehicle for launch. Once the two vehicles are activated, the Soyuz rocket and upper stage complete a series of checkouts of their flight control system. Communication checks, electrical testing and propulsion system testing is also performed in the early stage of the countdown. Completing final hands-on work on the launch vehicle, engineers will install batteries in the booster and remove protective covers from the Soyuz including the first stage engine covers.

At L-5 hours, the Russian State Commission convenes for the final pre-launch reviews of the countdown status to give the formal approval for Soyuz propellant loading. The Tanking Cars will have rolled to the pad by then, being connected to ground propellant systems to get ready to load the Soyuz with a total of 274,140 Kilograms of Kerosene and Liquid Oxygen.

Soyuz fueling is expected to commence around L-4 hours as the four boosters, the Core Stage and the third stage are filled with Kerosene and supercold LOX. In addition, the boosters and core stage are loaded with liquid Nitrogen for tank pressurization and Hydrogen Peroxide to drive the turbopumps of the engines; the third stage also receives Helium for tank pressurization. Propellant loading takes about 90 minutes and teams will conduct final close-outs of the launcher while fueling is underway. 60 minutes ahead of launch, the Guidance System is activated and the flight computers receive their flight software 15 minutes later.

With final hands-on work complete, the two halves of the Soyuz Service Structure will be retracted as late as L-25 minutes followed by the evacuation of the launch complex. Ten minutes before launch, the inertial guidance system is configured for flight as gyroscopes are uncaged and flight recorders are activated.

Entering the Automated Countdown Sequence at T-6 minutes, the Soyuz launch vehicle will begin its final reconfigurations as part of a highly choreographed procedure. Inside the launch bunker near the pad, the launch key will be inserted to give clearance for liftoff.

Three minutes before launch, the five engines of the boosters and core stage are purged with nitrogen before propellant tank pressurization starts at T-2:35. Transfer to internal power occurs one minute before liftoff and Soyuz enables its Auto Sequencer that controls the final countdown events. The third stage umbilical is disconnected at T-50 seconds and the service tower retracts ten seconds later. At T-25 seconds, the umbilical tower of the Core Stage is moved to its launch position. With the Auto Sequencer in control of the countdown, the Soyuz starts its ignition sequence at T-20 seconds as the turbopumps of the booster and core stage engines soar to flight speed and the engines reach an intermediate thrust level before being throttled up to full thrust for liftoff.

Liftoff is set for precisely 15:58:28 UTC as Soyuz 2-1B blasts off with a total thrust of 425,000-Kilogram-force. Following liftoff and a short vertical ascent, Soyuz will execute a pitch and roll maneuver to start heading for a polar orbit inclined 98.8 degrees. Passing Maximum Dynamic Pressure and Mach 1 just after one minute into the flight, the Soyuz will continue powered ascent using its four boosters and the core stage. The four boosters and their RD-107A engines will burn for 1 minute and 58 seconds consuming a total of 39,600kg of propellants to provide extra boost to the vehicle.

After booster separation, the Soyuz will continue powered ascent on the Core Stage alone delivering 102,000 Kilograms of vacuum thrust until shutting down at T+4 minutes and 45 seconds, after burning 90,100kg of propellant. Immediately after Core Stage cutoff, the RD-0124 engine of the third stage is ignited as part of the hot-staging sequence of the Soyuz. At T+4:47, the pyrotechnic bolts connecting the Core Stage to the third stage are fired to separate the stages and allow the third stage to continue powered ascent. Ten seconds after staging, the aft section of the third stage is jettisoned to fully expose the engine compartment. Jettisoning its payload fairing once outside the dense atmosphere, Soyuz will expose its seven payloads for the remainder of the ride into orbit.

Providing 30,000 Kilograms of thrust, the third stage will consume 25,400 Kilograms of propellants over a burn of a little over four and a half minutes. Shutting down just after nine minutes and 20 seconds into the flight, the third stage will separate the Fregat upper stage into a target orbit of 190 by 212 Kilometers at an inclination of 98.8 degrees.

In this Low Earth Parking Orbit, Fregat will coast for a short period of time to set up the proper perigee/apogee locations of the transfer orbit.

Photo: Tsenki/Roscosmos

Photo: Tsenki/Roscosmos

Fregat is 3.35 meters in diameter and 1.5 meters long capable of holding 5,350 Kilograms of Unsymmetrical Dímethylhydrazine fuel and Nitrogen Tetroxide oxidizer. Fregat is an autonomous Upper Stage that is equipped with its own power, propulsion and control system to perform flights of up to 48 hours. S5.92 is operated in two thrust modes – 2,025 Kilograms and 1,430 Kilograms.

The first Fregat burn is expected to start at T+10 minutes and 17 seconds to deliver the stack to an orbit of 190 by 814 Kilometers at an inclination of 98.8 degrees. Fregat's first burn is expected to be just 51 seconds in duration, raising the apogee to the target altitude for Meteor's Sun-Synchronous delivery. After the first burn, the vehicle is set for a coast phase to allow the stack to climb to a position near apogee for the second burn of the upper stage, planned at T+57 minutes and 43 seconds with a duration of 48.5 seconds. This burn will deliver the vehicle to a 801 by 838-Kilometer orbit for the separation of the primary payload.

Meteor-M #2 will be released into this orbit at T+59:03 after Fregat orients to the correct attitude for satellite separation. For Meteor-M #2, the mission will begin with the deployment of the solar arrays, the acquisition of three-axis control and the initiation of contact with Russian ground stations.

With Meteor-M on its way, Fregat performs an avoidance maneuver ahead of a retrograde engine burn to lower the orbit to 638 by 825 Kilometers at an inclination of 98.4 degrees. This short 12-second main engine burn is planned to commence at T+1 hour 38 minutes and 25 seconds. Fregat then enters a coast phase to reach perigee. During the coast, Fregat releases the Relek spacecraft at T+1:40:47.

The fourth engine burn will be executed near perigee at T+2 hours 26 minutes and 55 seconds to lower the apogee of the orbit in order to achieve an orbit of 634 by 642 Kilometers, inclined 98.4 degrees. Three separation events are expected to take place after the 7.7-second burn that delivers the stack to this lower orbit. First, TDS-1 and SkySat-2 will be released simultaneously at T+2:29:32. Next, the M3Msat simulator is deployed two minutes later followed by the DX-1 satellite at T+2:33:12. Finally, the small sat passengers, AISSat-2 and UKube-1 will be separated at T+ 2 hours 34 minutes and 12 seconds. In between the separation events, Fregat performs maneuvers using its attitude control system to release the spacecraft in slightly different orbits between 623 and 634 by 643 Kilometers. When all satellites are released, Fregat will ignite its engine once more as part of a retrograde deorbit maneuver to place itself into a 14 by 654-Kilometer trajectory that allows it to re-enter the atmosphere over a targeted location over the Ocean in order to conclude its mission. The 23.5-second deorbit burn is planned to begin at T+3:27:40 and marks the conclusion of a complex mission.

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